Jump to content

Cup Noodles

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Galamazoo12 (talk | contribs) at 00:36, 13 March 2007. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

File:Cup noodles 1 2 3.jpg
Preparation of cup noodles

Cup Noodles (or Cup o' Noodles) is a type of instant ramen noodle snack packaged in a styrofoam or hard-plastic cup.

History

Instant noodles were invented in 1958 by Momofuku Ando, the Taiwanese founder of the Japanese food company Nissin. He used Chikin Ramen (Chicken Ramen) as the first instant ramen noodles. In 1970, Nissin formed the subsidiary Nissin Foods (USA) Co. Inc, to sell instant noodles to the United States. Nissin recognized that the bowls traditionally used to package instant noodles were not common in the U.S, so they instead turned to the paper cup; in 1971, they introduced instant ramen packaged in a styrofoam cup. Nissin subsequently introduced this to Japan.

Today, instant noodles in Japan are often sold in styrofoam bowls, sometimes with plastic utensils. Styrofoam bowls are easily portable; they are very convenient for outdoor activities. Styrofoam bowls are also inexpensive, disposable, and light, and thus convenient as an "on-the-go" meal.

Cooking and flavors

Cup noodles contain a pre-cooked (fried) block of noodles that only requires the addition of hot water and sometimes flavouring, usually contained in small packets. Cooking time is usually around 3 minutes; boiling water is preferable to cold water and microwave cooking.

There are 15 flavors of cup noodles; common ones include shrimp, chicken, and beef. New additions include spicy picante flavors and spicy cheese variants.

Trivia

From 1996 to 2006, a 60-foot (18 meter) Nissin Cup Noodle sign was installed in Times Square, New York City. It was located prominently near the top of the One Times Square building, the location of the Times Square Ball drop on New Year's Eve. The sign was the most recent example in a tradition of steaming signs in Times Square, which started with an A&P coffee cup in 1933. [1]

Cup Noodle (not plural) is also a specific Nissin brand, which offers additional flavors such as Laksa and Tom yam in southeast Asia.[2]

Supermarket chain Lidl uses the "cup noodle" name on their version of the product.

See also

Stub icon

This food-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Cup_Noodles&oldid=114681982"